Arsenal legend has already made retirement decision amid unexpected appointment

Arsenal legend Aaron Ramsey has already made a decision over his future after taking up his first temporary managerial job. Ramsey was appointed as Cardiff City’s interim boss despite not yet retiring over Easter weekend, taking charge of the Bluebirds’ crucial Monday clash with Oxford United as he continues his recovery from surgery.

Cardiff were much improved, but Oxford cancelled out the Welsh side’s lead with a super strike late on. That means the Bluebirds are very likely to be relegated to League One, where they would be playing third tier football for the first time since 2003. The Welsh club need to win both of their remaining games and they need a whole host of results to go their way on top of that, currently three points from safety with a far inferior goal difference.

Ramsey has remained positive despite the inevitable fate that seems to await his boyhood club, and while he enjoyed being on the sidelines, it seems he is not yet ready to hang up his boots. That’s despite the midfielder struggling with injury throughout his most recent spell with Cardiff, while his contract is also up this summer, and if he was to stay in League One, he would have to take another huge wage cut.

"I am just taking these three games," he confirmed. "I'm still recovering from a hamstring operation, I'm still in the middle of rehab and I'm focused on getting back to full fitness. This is a role where it's going to be an intense 10 days now then I can relax and get back into my rehab. I'm just looking at the next two.

"We have got to win the next game and hopefully we take it into the last game. Results have gone against us, but we can only control what we can control and take it into the last game. We've got to win on Saturday."

Asked about his first game in charge, he added: “It was a really proud moment. To do it with Gunts (Chris Gunter) and Joe (Ralls) was really special. "This club means a lot to me and I felt like I could get a reaction. I certainly got that today. I'd like to thank all the fans today, they were brilliant. They gave us that bit extra. I want to thank them for that.

"It was really enjoyable. Sometimes football can be cruel, it can sometimes take a worldie from 35 yards, their only shot on target. These things can happen. We can be really proud of what we've done over the last 24 hours."

Ramsey also revealed that he had advice from former Wales teammate and current Wales boss Craig Bellamy in the lead up to the game. "I spoke to Bellers [Bellamy] quite a bit. He's helped me out quite a lot in that 24, 48 hours," the Gunners legend added.

"The FAW [Football Association of Wales] have been brilliant, and the staff there. Very supportive and I'm thankful for that. That definitely helped me settle a bit, it's completely different being out there [on the touchline]. Sleeping was a little bit harder. Nerves from not being able to be on the pitch and do something. All normal things that happen when you first take your managerial role, but I enjoyed it."